


Lucky Stars

by Rabid_Dolphin



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Adorable Pets, F/F, F/M, Friends to More Than Friends, dark story line of abuse, seriously...the slowest burn, slight hallmark channel moment, so much slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:48:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26133724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabid_Dolphin/pseuds/Rabid_Dolphin
Summary: Nicole Haught meets Waverly Earp while working security at a conference. The two rapidly become close friends. When Waverly's marriage eventually dissolves because of her dangerous and abusive husband, she relies heavily on her new friend for support and protection. Waverly is forced to move home with her conservative Christian parents, and seeks solace at Nicole's house as a way to escape their controlling patriarchal oversight. Will the two ever see themselves as more than best friends?
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Champ Hardy, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Wynonna Earp
Comments: 14
Kudos: 42





	1. A New Friend

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading this, thank you for joining me on my first solo journey. Your comments and kudos mean the world!!

June 2011

Nicole didn’t mind working security at conferences. She didn’t mind putting on a suit and jacket and holstering her personal pistol in order to escort prominent speakers between green rooms and stages. But working security at a commercialized church with snake oil salesmen (or in this case saleswomen) marketing their latest Christian merchandise made her a little green at the gills. She had just walked the guest speaker back from the morning session and safely deposited her inside the head pastor’s plush office and taken up her post outside the door, feet shoulder width apart, hands clasped in front of her waist, where she would remain until the afternoon session began. It was a stance she could maintain for hours—comfortably alert, neutral, unobtrusive—until called to action. Nicole had worked at this particular church a few times. The money was good, the people were friendly, (even if she disagreed with their world views) and they had several volunteers who worked on their security team that were current or former law enforcement, which made her feel much better about the overall security of the building. She recognized several faces—to include the security team leader, and several members of the pastoral staff who were frequently in and out of the green room or on stage when Nicole was in the auditorium. 

As far as threat assessments, this gig had very few. According to the associate pastor who had walked the building with Nicole prior to this event so she could plan points of ingress and egress, their biggest concern was a homeless person wandering in off the street and trying to meander up on stage. The speaker, Lisa Bevere, although well known in protestant Christian circles, was not famous enough to have drawn any true stalkers or dangerously obsessed fans. Nicole had done her research, looked up Bevere’s history, perused the company website, set Google alerts and scrolled through social media; and although she remained as alert as ever, had no reason to anticipate a major incident during the three day conference. Which was why she took some time to look around at the church volunteers who were working hospitality in the green room. Most of them she had seen previously and had no concerns about—the church seemed to do a thorough job of vetting its volunteers before allowing them into the inner sanctum. Nicole had perfected a pleasantly disinterested facial expression, equally friendly and dismissive. People who attempted to engage her in conversation found themselves excused after a brief exchange without feeling offended—it was a honed technique Nicole did out of habit when she was working. Her gaze fell on a short brunette working behind a drink table, who wore a trendy denim skirt with a gray t-shirt under a black vest. Nicole didn’t recognize her—but observed her hair was in a low messy bun and a fedora was perched atop her head, creating a very edgy but classic effect. A toddler, the daughter of the head pastor’s son, tottered out of the office in front of Nicole and broke into an unsteady run at the sight of the brunette. The child squealed with joy and the brunette scooped her up, obviously fond of and familiar with the little one. And that’s when Nicole finally saw the brunette’s face—as she swung the child up, her face lifted toward the little one’s—and Nicole’s focus and discipline was shattered. Her eyes and her smile were so genuinely bright, kind, and beautiful that Nicole felt her mouth go dry. Nicole noticed sculpted shoulders flex with the movement of the child, and lean calves taper down from the skirt. The brunette was stunning and Nicole’s felt her resolve crumble. She had to find a way to engage the brunette in conversation—she thanked her lucky stars it was only day one of the three-day conference. 

When the pastors and speakers sat down for their lunch, Nicole scanned the room and determined she was off the hook for long enough to get a drink and grab a snack. She stepped over to the brunette’s table and hesitantly asked, “Would it be alright if I took a bottle of water?” 

The brunette smiled at Nicole, although not as broadly as she had at the sweet little girl who had been running around the green room, and spread her palms toward the assortment of beverages, “Take anything you like!” 

Nicole picked up a bottle of spring water and turned so she was facing the same direction as the brunette. She looked in the direction of the little girl, who was playing with a piece of paper, and said, “She’s really cute.” 

The brunette’s head tilted to the side and she smiled warmly at the child. “She is one of the most precious children I’ve ever worked with. She’s just got a sweetness about her—she’s so gentle and tender—I really adore her.” 

Nicole watched the little girl for a moment more and then tried again. “I’ve worked security here a few times, but I don’t think we have ever crossed paths. I’m Nicole. Nicole Haught.”

The brunette turned and looked up at Nicole. She seemed to really take Nicole in for the first time, sweeping her eyes from Nicole’s polished burgundy wing tipped shoes up her black suit and white button down to her carefully bobby pinned bangs and lightly curled red hair. Her eyes drifted back to Nicole’s waist and hesitated at the bulge on Nicole’s right hip where her pistol was secured in a leather holster. “I’m Waverly. I work hospitality all the time so yeah, I’m surprised we haven’t worked some of the same events.” Waverly’s eyes met Nicole’s and she asked, “You off duty?” 

Nicole found herself smiling so hard her dimples popped before she registered the question. “I used to be a federal agent. I worked for the Air Force as a civilian doing criminal investigations. Just like NCIS for the Navy, except no one has heard of it. Now I work for a state agency doing internal investigations and some intermittent fugitive work. Security is a nice side hustle that allows me to have a budget for travel.” Nicole took a drink of water and decided to put her interrogatory training to use. “What do you do for a living?” 

Waverly paused before she answered, reorganizing a few water bottles on her table, “I do a lot of things, but I mostly work from home.” 

Nicole waited for her to expound, but it quickly became clear the brunette was going to be a harder nut to crack than anticipated. Normally, people jumped at any opportunity to talk about themselves, but not Waverly. Maybe she was unused to anyone trying to get to know her. Throughout the day, Nicole noticed when she wanted to, Waverly simply faded into the woodwork of the room and became nearly invisible, although she was so physically attractive Nicole could not determine how it was possible for her to go unnoticed. Nicole could tell Waverly was an introvert who employed some of the same tactics for conversation avoidance as Nicole, which suited Nicole just fine. She would find their common ground and she would pursue a friendship with this obviously insightful, interesting, attractive, and maybe even secretive woman.

Nicole did not push Waverly any further the first day, other than to smile warmly when they passed and to wish her a good night after the final service. 

After Nicole was home, comfortable in loose sweats and a tank top, her mind strayed back to Waverly. Unable to shake the mysterious brunette from her mind, she sent a text message to her best friend, Xavier.

Nicole: “Think I made a new friend today. But she’s gonna make me work for it.” 

Xavier: “Yeah? What makes you think anyone wants to be friends with you?” 

Nicole: “Ha ha, very funny. And this may sound weird, but I just have a feeling about her.”

Xavier: “Well it’s about time you did some actual work. ;) Keep me posted.”


	2. Literature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole finally finds common ground with Waverly.

The next day, Nicole was in place at the front doors of the church at 0730 hours. She was responsible for opening the back door of Mrs. Bevere’s transport vehicle when it arrived and escorting her inside to the green room. Bevere traveled with a female assistant who was always flitting about, mostly getting in Nicole’s way. Nicole had a specific place she liked to walk in relation to the person she was assigned to protect, which was slightly behind and 45 degrees back to their right or left, depending on entrance and exit angles. The friendly little assistant often stepped in-between Nicole and Bevere, much to Nicole’s annoyance. Nicole assessed Bevere’s outfit for the day, looking for belts or other convenient places to grab and manipulate, should a situation require her to move Bevere out of harm’s way. Nicole had the conference schedule in her pocket, although she had memorized Bevere’s obligations and knew she would speak at the 8am morning session. Once the speaker was safely deposited back with the “royal family,” as she internally referred to the head pastor’s household, she took up her position outside the office and looked around to see if she could spot Waverly. Nicole didn’t know if Waverly was even scheduled to work hospitality today or tomorrow, but she hoped to catch a glimpse of the woman whose visage had haunted her waking dreams. She noticed all of the volunteers who worked in hospitality were dressed impeccably well, were physically attractive, and all seemed well versed in social norms. None of them spoke to the guest speakers or pastors unless spoken to. It was all finely orchestrated to make the royal family and their guests feel comfortable and catered to. Nicole noticed the beverage table was laden with coffee and water, but there was no one behind it. At 7:55am, she escorted Bevere into the sanctuary where she remained by the stage until she completed her message and returned to the green room at 8:40am. Bevere wasn’t scheduled to speak again until 10am. 

As they walked back into the green room Bevere looked at Nicole and said confidently, “I’m not sure why I need a security detail. I really think I could handle myself if something happened.” 

Nicole smiled demurely and placidly agreed, “I’m sure you could, ma’am.” 

Bevere disappeared into the head pastor’s office again and Nicole took up her place by the door, glancing around the room as she did so. She broke into a smile when her eyes met Waverly’s, who was once again standing behind the beverage table with her hands clasped in front of her. Waverly smiled back before looking down, and then offered softly, “Coffee?” Nicole usually made a point to do all of her hydrating after her security details to minimize bathroom breaks, but she knew she would have time to slip away later if she needed to, so she stepped over to the table and replied, “That sounds amazing. I think a shot of caffeine is exactly what I need to make it through this day.” Nicole glanced at Waverly and smiled again, briefly, before looking down to the task at hand. She could tell the brunette was skittish, so Nicole decided to take a soft tact and not push. She added two sugars and a small amount of cream before thanking Waverly and stepping back to her position, happily sipping at the steaming cup in her hands. 

Later, the tiny toddler ran out of the office to see Waverly with a handful of grapes clutched in her tiny fist. Waverly scooped up the little girl, their faces lighting up with mutual joy and affection for one another. Waverly listened with rapt attention to the little girl’s vivid chatter, smiling and giggling along with the child, who had a grape in her mouth. Nicole glanced to her right, her attention pulled into the pastor’s office and saw the royal family had gathered around Bevere in a circle, all holding hands, and had begun to pray. She glanced out into the green room and placed her finger on her lips, alerting the other volunteers to remain quiet. Nicole didn’t really care one way or another if the prayer was interrupted, but she had the feeling the volunteers might die of sheer mortification if they caused a disruption during such a sacred act. The green room became eerily quiet in an instant, each person alerting another in a practiced fashion. Nicole looked back toward Waverly and the child, wondering if the little girl could stay silent. As if in slow motion, the girl’s hand, still clutching a single grape, fell open above a trash can behind the drink table. The grape fell, as Waverly’s eyes widened in mock horror and her mouth formed an adorable little “o” shape, until the grape plunked down atop an empty water bottle, causing a deafening echo in the otherwise quiet room. Waverly grasped the little girl’s head to her chest as she tried to refrain from giggling, and Nicole found herself stifling an equally robust giggle at the ridiculousness of it all. Waverly’s eyes met Nicole’s, and for the first time they did not bounce away immediately. They shared a moment of mirth, desperately holding in their laughter, and Nicole knew she owed that little girl a piece of candy for dropping the grape. 

Bevere left the church during the afternoon intermission around 2pm, and was not scheduled to return until 5pm. Nicole had a decision to make—she could leave, which was her original plan, or find a reason to stay and attempt to talk with Waverly—it took her almost no time to mentally rearrange her afternoon errands to another day and resolve to take another shot at a conversation with the brunette, who also appeared to be staying through the afternoon break. The mood in the green room relaxed immediately as soon as the royal family and Bevere had all left the premises. Volunteers filled their plates with leftovers from lunch and sat down together to enjoy a meal. Nicole noticed Waverly fixed herself a plate of mostly fruit, with some chicken she picked out of an alfredo dish, and sat down near another woman with whom she was friendly. Nicole made herself a salad, grabbed a bottle of water and joined them at the round table, seating herself somewhat across from Waverly so she could gauge the brunette’s reactions and body language. Nicole’s undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a study sprang to mind in which test subjects were asked about their feelings toward a person who had been in the room with them, but with whom they had not interacted. The study showed the test subjects reported they liked the person they did not interact with more the longer the unknown person was in the room with the subjects. Nicole was counting on the principle to work here as well—if she could just become familiar over the course of the day, Waverly would slowly warm up to her just based on proximity. During the course of the meal the three women had another laugh about the grape incident, with Waverly chuckling about how loud such a small piece of fruit had been. 

After lunch, Waverly restocked her drink table, and then took a seat in a corner with a book she had pulled from her purse. Nicole seated herself near her normal security post, which was thankfully not too far from Waverly and just observed the dynamics of the green room in its relaxed state. Waverly looked up at some point and Nicole managed to make eye contact and naturally interject, “What are you reading?” Waverly grinned with slight embarrassment and held up a worn edition of Little Women. “It was in my Jeep and I just brought it in to pass the time. I’ve read it a dozen times, but I always enjoy a re-read.”

Nicole nodded and said, “Don’t be embarrassed. Half of my college entrance essays were based on my perceived similarities to Jo March. My house burned down when I was in eighth grade and I lost all my books. Little Women was one gifted to me by a family friend and I read that copy over and over again.” 

“That must have been really traumatic,” Waverly said.

Nicole reflected on the memories of the house fire for a moment before she replied, ”You know, no one was hurt. It was all just stuff that we lost—I think back now to how hard that had to have been for my parents. But it all worked out. I was devastated about a few children’s books my parents had read to me when I was little, but my Mom managed to replace them for me a few years later. I treasure them still. They’re not exactly common, so it was a bit of a trick to find new copies.” 

Waverly glanced back at her book, then to Nicole’s delight, closed it and leaned back in her chair as if she had deliberately decided to engage the red head. “I love literature,” Waverly sighed, almost as if giving up personal knowledge was physically difficult. “I have a degree in literature and child development,” she said with slightly less trepidation. 

One of Waverly’s statements from the day prior clicked in her mind and she asked, “Is that why you said you ‘worked’ with the little girl yesterday? Most people wouldn’t use that verbiage.” 

Waverly smiled and nodded. “Her name is Naomi. I help her mom out quite a bit—just as an act of service. So Naomi and I spend a lot of time together.” 

“I have a confession. I also love literature—but specifically, children’s and young adult literature. Which is weird for a 30 something year old woman to admit, but it’s my truth,” Nicole said with a note of teasing self-deprecation. 

The women chatted animatedly about books, where they went to school, and life in general for the next hour and a half. Nicole learned Waverly was married to a man named James, loved to sew, and had a slew of cousins, many of whom also attended the same church. The conversation flowed freely and Nicole was even more committed to making this beautiful woman her friend by the time Waverly had to get up and make preparations for the royal family’s return. Nicole also had birthed a plan to ensure they would remain in contact after the conference ended, and wore a pleasant smile the rest of the day, genuinely happy to have gotten to know the brunette, even in such a small measure.

After the conference, Nicole and Waverly walked out to the parking lot together and bid their farewells, both knowing they would see one another the next day. Nicole got into her gray Nissan Frontier and Waverly into her red Jeep Wrangler and they drove their separate ways. Nicole’s gut, which she trusted implicitly, was strongly implying that the brunette was special and somehow their friendship was fated. 

Before bed that night, Nicole carefully laid out the items she needed to implement her plan the following day, then fell into a deep sleep, confident it would work.


	3. The Girl Who Tricked the Troll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole has a plan to keep in touch.

Nicole handled her security duties for day three of the conference with efficient disinterest, waiting for the perfect moment to talk to Waverly. Finally, when Bevere and the royal family were closeted in the head pastor’s office for lunch, she took the opportunity to put her plan into action. She picked up a satchel she had stashed behind a decorative plant and slung it across her shoulder before she turned and located Waverly, who was tidying up the drink table. 

Nicole walked up and without preamble said with an excited grin, “I brought you something.” 

Waverly smiled widely and said, “What? You brought me something? What is it?” Her eyes curved into happy little half moons as she smiled in anticipation and Nicole knew in that moment she wanted to surprise Waverly as often as she could. 

Nicole, suddenly wracked with nervousness about how her gesture would be received, reached into her satchel where she pulled out three children’s books and placed them on the table. She timidly explained, “These are my favorite books from when I was little. The ones my mom replaced for me after the originals burned. I thought, since you love literature, you might like to take them home and have a look at them.” 

Waverly’s eyes lit up as she picked up each book and examined the covers, mouthing each title. She hugged them to her chest like treasures and locked eyes with the red head. “Are you sure, Nicole? These are special to you. I mean, I’ll take good care of them, of course. But I want to know you’re sure.” 

Nicole tilted her head and smiled, “I know you’ll take care of them. Good books should be shared and appreciated. Maybe after you’ve read them we can get together for coffee or dinner and you can give them back.” 

Waverly bounced on her toes with excitement, “Yes! I’m going to read them to my kitties when I get home!” She turned and with great care placed the books under the drink table, next to her purse.

“Kitties?” Nicole inquired.

Waverly blushed, realizing most people didn’t consider reading books to their cats a normal activity. She glanced at Nicole to see if there was any condescension or judgment, and, finding none, sighed with relief. Nicole smiled openly, waiting for the brunette to offer as much information as she was comfortable giving. Waverly laughed at the thought of her cats and then described them all to Nicole, personalities included. There were four, and they were obviously like children to the brunette. Nicole of course expressed her fondness for animals and described her own animals, two dogs, to the brunette in return. 

When a natural lull in the conversation occurred, Nicole took a deep breath and bit the bullet. “Hey Waverly? Would it be OK if we exchanged phone numbers? You know, so I can get my books back after you’ve read them?”

Waverly smiled and reached into her purse for her phone. “Of course, Nicole.”

\------------------

After the conference was over, Nicole went home, put on her most comfy pajamas, poured herself a raspberry beer, and turned on Criminal Minds to relax. She had taken off work Friday to be at the conference, but not Monday and had to be back at work first thing in the morning. She glanced down at her phone and wondered if it was too soon to text Waverly. She shook her head; of course it was too soon. Instead, she decided to update Xavier. 

Nicole: “You in the office tomorrow?”

Xavier: “Yeah. Have to submit a couple subpoenas for a case. I’ll be on the road Tuesday though. You?”

Nicole: “I’m typing up interviews tomorrow, so I’ll be in the office, too. Wanna get lunch?”

Xavier: “Yeah, but you’re buying. How’s the new friend?”

Nicole: “I think she’s good. I loaned her some books, so we will have to see each other again once she’s read them.”

Xavier: “Smart, Nic. I see what you did there.” 

Nicole: “See you tomorrow.”

\------------------

After work Monday evening, Nicole sent Waverly a text. She didn’t think too much about it or agonize over the wording, preferring to just send it and let it play out.

Nicole: “Hey! Have you had a chance to read any of the books?”

Waverly responded fifteen long minutes later.

Waverly: “Yes! We read one of the Mercer Mayer books last night—One Monster After Another—I sat on the bed and all the kitties came and sat with me and I read it aloud to them. It was adorable. We will read another one tonight.”

Nicole: “I’m so glad you liked it! I’ll check in tomorrow to see what you think of the next one :-)”

And so it went. The next night Nicole checked in and learned Waverly had read, Professor Wormbog in Search for the Zipperump-a-Zoo, also by Mercer Mayer. Again, the brunette explained her cats had all gathered round for story time. Nicole warned her the last book, The Girl Who Tricked the Troll, was a bit on the scary side, just so she could be prepared. Waverly had expressed surprise about a frightening children’s book, causing Nicole to defend the title as one of her favorites as it emphasized cleverness and honesty. They never sent more than a few texts at a time, and Nicole was aware she was always the initiator of the conversations, but was still happy to hear from and stay in touch with the brunette.

About a week after Waverly had finished all the books—and agreed with Nicole the last of the three definitely had a more chilling vibe, while still acknowledging it was a great read—Nicole asked if she could cook dinner for Waverly. Waverly’s husband, James, was out of town on a mission trip organized by the same church where Nicole and Waverly met. Waverly had explained he was in Uganda for almost two weeks, and agreed dinner sounded lovely, but explained her Jeep was having mechanical issues and she couldn’t drive it at the moment. Nicole quickly offered to pick her up, and after a lengthy pause in their conversation, Waverly agreed. Nicole wasn’t sure if the pause had been hesitance on the part of the brunette to allow the red head further into her life, or if Waverly had just been busy, but she knew somehow that her entrance into the other woman’s personal space was significant. 

A few days later, on an innocuous Thursday evening, Nicole drove from her house in Edmond to Northwest Oklahoma City to pick up her friend. She walked to the door of the house, knocked, and was thrilled to see Waverly open the front door with a flourish and a genuine smile. Nicole smiled back just as widely, and her heart swelled with happiness when Waverly invited her in to, “Meet the kitties.” Waverly gave Nicole a detailed run down of each cat’s personality, likes, dislikes, and quirks. The eldest, a gray tortie named Jane, sniffed Nicole’s thumb, and then her face, before allowing Nicole to stroke her head and neck. The only male, a yellow tabby named Lewis, tried desperately to groom Nicole’s hair, in an effort to “crawl inside her soul and be consumed by love,” as Waverly put it. The black and tan tortie, Annabelle, only peered at Nicole from behind the furniture, as she was deeply shy; and the gray tabby, Chloe, was very vocal and told Nicole a lengthy story about herself while the women listened attentively. Waverly also took Nicole into her “creative space” where she had a sewing machine, craft tables, and other beloved odds and ends meant to inspire her creative soul. The room seemed like an extension of the brunette somehow, and she was both at home in the space, and somehow vulnerable in it, as though showing it to Nicole provided more of a window into her person than she was completely comfortable sharing. Waverly seemed pleased Nicole had met her beloved animals and seen her craft room. After twenty minutes of kitty cuddles and head butts and meows, the two said their goodbyes and headed back across town for dinner, with Nicole’s books securely stowed in Waverly’s bag.

As they drove, Nicole explained she had purchased her house about eight months prior and it was very much a work in progress. Nicole worked full time at her state job, plus side jobs with security, and had a couple of female roommates whose rent covered all her utilities. When they arrived, Nicole introduced the brunette to her own animals, a large wolf/german shepherd mix that weighed more than Waverly, and a feisty long-haired dapple dachshund; Catra and Bow, respectively. Catra was a shy gal, despite her imposing looks, but warmed up to Waverly immediately; and Bow, well he believed everyone existed to be his friend and tried desperately to express his adoration for the brunette by licking her face. While Waverly made friends with the pups, Nicole started dinner. It was simple, grilled chicken, baked asparagus, and mac n’ cheese. She had it all prepped, cooked and plated in about half an hour and the two women sat down at the kitchen table to eat. Nicole was shocked to see Waverly eat every morsel on her plate and go back for more—the petite woman had an impressive appetite and Nicole appreciated her hearty nature. They sat at the table and talked for an hour or so before Waverly kindly offered, “I know you have to work tomorrow. You better take me home so you’re not out too late.” Nicole knew she was right, but also felt disappointed by how quickly their time together had passed. They chatted amicably the whole way back to Waverly’s house, and before they arrived Nicole took a deep breath and asked, “Would you like to go with me sometime when I walk my dogs? There’s a nice trail across from the college.” Waverly’s face lit up and she enthusiastically agreed. 

When Nicole got home, her heart happy and full after the fun evening with her new friend, she picked up her books from where Waverly had placed them on the kitchen counter. Poking out from between pages of The Girl Who Tricked the Troll was an envelope. Nicole retrieved it and found her name in a lovely cursive script on the front. When she flipped it over her eye was drawn to a red wax seal, stamped with an artistic lily. She paused for a moment, before carefully cutting the top of the envelope so as not to disturb the wax, and smiled as she pulled out an obviously hand crafted card. Nicole’s eyes took in the card’s design, and the fluid cursive script, which was almost perfect in its tidiness, before she finally read the words:

“Nicole,

Thank you so much for loaning me your favorite childhood books. I know most people don’t read to their kitties, but rest assured, mine are literary critics with high taste—and we all thoroughly enjoyed every character, story, and illustration. I am so glad we crossed paths at the conference, and I genuinely look forward to seeing you again soon. Thanks in advance for what I’m sure will be a lovely dinner.

Your Friend,  
\--Waverly”

Nicole carefully placed the card back inside it’s envelope, and then nestled it back between the pages of the book where she had found it, stunned by Waverly’s thoughtfulness. And who had wax stamps and made their own cards?? 

In a moment of inspired authenticity, she sent Waverly a text, “Thank you for my card. You TOTALLY made it yourself, didn’t you? And who even has a wax seal?? I really enjoyed having you over for dinner. I hope we can do it again, soon.” 

As Nicole settled into bed for the night, after she had straightened her kitchen and completed her nightly routine, she glanced at her phone and saw Waverly had finally responded, “I did make the card myself, and you’re welcome :-). I designed that wax seal myself and I use it every chance I get! I really enjoyed dinner, too. Thank you, again. Night.” 

Nicole fell asleep with a contented smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The books mentioned in this chapter actually do exist and were some of my childhood favorites. I still have them and adore them 😊.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on Twitter: Dolphin_Rabid55


End file.
